On the occasion of the recent dust-up over NBC's Tonight Show, including an eviction of Conan O'Brien and ascension by Jay Leno, my thoughts turned to the history of the show. Specifically, the years during which Johnny Carson made a regular practice of turning over the reins to a parade of 'guest hosts'. The occupants … Continue reading Vikki Carr – One Of Carson’s Cohorts
Tag: pop music
Lobo Still Loping Along
I can honestly say that I don't remember Lobo's "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" back in 1971, when it was climbing the charts. You'd think I would have noticed it, if for no other reason because I would have found it odd that a musician who chose to identify himself by the … Continue reading Lobo Still Loping Along
Free Alice In Wonderland
No, it's not what you're thinking. I'm not leading the effort to free Alice from imprisonment in Wonderland. If she's still in Wonderland, she's probably perfectly happy cavorting with all the strange creatures. Nope, the title of this piece is a cheesy way for me to get your attention, and then tell you how you … Continue reading Free Alice In Wonderland
Driving The Who To Stardom
Watching The Who entertain at the Super Bowl might have caused a few people to remember another British group, an oddly-named bunch that had a connection -- sort of -- to the legendary rockers. The band's name was Thunderclap Newman and it was assembled to give an opportunity to John 'Speedy' Keen, who actually did … Continue reading Driving The Who To Stardom
Remembering Randy & The Rainbows
Although there were many exceptions, the majority of the groups that specialized in the type of close-harmony singing known as doo-wop fell into two categories. The earliest was the R&B-inspired music that mostly came out of the black urban environment, but close on its heels was the sound of the Italian-American groups, mostly originating in … Continue reading Remembering Randy & The Rainbows
Bringing Beethoven To Disco – Walter Murphy
One of my favorite musical sub-genres (or maybe sub-sub-genre) is when modern musicians take classical music and put an updated spin on it. What might at first glance seem disrespectful can produce some intriguing sounds. It's long been a common practice among jazz musicians, and even has a name -- "jazzin' the classics" -- but … Continue reading Bringing Beethoven To Disco – Walter Murphy
Norman Greenbaum — A Spirited Life
Although Norman Greenbaum could probably be described as a classic one-hit wonder, his story is still an interesting one. After all, even though he's best known for his big hit, 1970's "Spirit In The Sky," his first charted song was the oddly-named "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago," and he later spent some time as a … Continue reading Norman Greenbaum — A Spirited Life
Getting To Know Arthur Greenslade
I've mentioned before that I like to periodically check the freebies that Amazon and other online music sellers offer. Although some of the tracks they give away are a little iffy, you can also find yourself getting acquainted with good music from someone you might not know too well, like Arthur Greenslade. Arthur Greenslade's name … Continue reading Getting To Know Arthur Greenslade
After Clear Lake — Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee (Robert Thomas Velline) April 30, 1943 - October 24, 2016 Having written recently about the infamous 1959 Clear Lake plane crash that claimed Buddy Holly and the others, I thought it might be worth mentioning one more of the era's singers who also had a connection with the event. You might even say … Continue reading After Clear Lake — Bobby Vee
Geezer Music Club 